Can You Get Sore From Bowling?


Sometimes after I bowl, I can still feel it. You know what I mean? I can still feel like my fingers are in the holes of my bowling ball, still feel like I’m wearing my bowling shoes sliding on the approach. And of course if I was a bit rough, my thumb might even be a bit red from friction, ad well as my ring finger. It’s obvious you can get sore from bowling.

Why do my fingers swell when I bowl?

There are many reasons why your fingers might swell when you bowl. An obvious one is if your fit or grip is wrong. The friction between your fingers and the holes in the bowling ball will cause your fingers to swell. To prevent friction, you should use a bowling ball with bigger holes. Usually bowling alleys have multiple bowling balls of the same weight with different size finger holes. Be sure to look through a few before selecting your ball. finger and thumb holes should be big enough so that if your fingers do swell, you can still fit them into the holes.

Having bigger holes is fine because you can always tighten up the finger holes when bowling if your fingers are not swelled up, however, there is no way to make the holes smaller. One way to make your finger holes tighter is to put tape in and around the holes. Having big finger and thumb holes in your bowling ball can cause your knuckles to swell up. This is because having looser holes forces you to grab the ball Tighter. This puts too much pressure on your hand causing your knuckles to swell. So when bowling, make sure you find the best hole size for your fingers.

Another reason your fingers may swell when you bowl is if you eat before or while playing. If you eat too much rich or salty food, your fingers may swell. Too much salt can cause the cells in your fingers to attract fluid, and this leads to water retention and swelling. Eating before or while bowling is fine, but you have got to watch what you eat and how much you have of it. 

So don’t fill up on pizza and fries guys!!

Another reason your fingers may swell while bowling is if you drink while playing. Drinking beer can make your hands red and swollen. Alcohol is a diuretic, causing you to urinate fluids faster. Therefore, drinking alcohol beverages can dehydrate you. When your body senses it is losing too much fluid, it hangs onto the fluid it has causing fluid retention. Fluid retention is when excess fluid builds up in your body, which can cause swelling.

The last reason your fingers may swell while bowling is if you play too many games. Playing any sport for too long can cause injuries. Bowling for too long, even with the correct safety precautions in play can still cause your fingers to swell. This is because your fingers are put under too much stress for too long. Professionals can only play for so many games because they are experienced and have been playing that many games for a long time. To play more games without your fingers swelling, you have to gradually increase the number of games you play.

A few ways to prevent your fingers from swelling while bowling is to have loose finger holes in the ball. This is because you can always use tape to make the hole tighter. Another way is to use bowling gloves. This will protect and keep your hand and fingers in place while bowling. Lastly, doing stretches before bowling keeps the blood flowing in your hands allowing you to bowl for longer without feeling swelling or pain.

Do wrist supports really help with sore wrists?

Sore wrists are caused when either, you play too often or if your wrist and forearm isn’t strong enough. Playing too often, puts too much stress on your wrists because bowling balls are heavy and throwing them at such high speeds causes too much pressure on your wrists. Having sore wrists can be very painful and prevent you from bowling for a long time.

Wrist supports can be helpful for sore wrists. It helps keep your wrist in a natural position when bowling. It also strengthens your wrist allowing you to bowl even when your wrist is sore. A wrist support helps take the pressure of the bowling ball off your arm which will prevent it from swelling up even more. It also provides padding so that if your wrist is hit or moved with force, the wrist support will take most of the impact. However, if your wrist is sprained or fractured, you should not bowl at all because it will slow down your record time and could make the injury worse. 

Owning a good bowling wrist support can also improve a bowler’s game. It can be used as a pain relief or as a way of correcting form and increasing your efficiency and effectiveness of your shots. Many bowlers have good wrist supports because it enables them to play more games without causing swelling or sore wrists. Some bowlers however, will use tape instead because it is cheaper and more comfortable. Tape does not have the same benefits as wrist supports because it’s not as padded and some bowlers may not tape their wrists up correctly.

Some of the best reviewed bowling wrist supports are; Robbie Revs II bowling wrist support, Kool Kontrol wrist positioner and the Brunswick shot repeater X bowling wrist support.

What stretches should I do before bowling?

I know this video is old, but it’s pretty good

Stretching before any type of physical activity is important to prevent injuries and to improve performance. There are five main warm ups you should do before bowling.

The first one is called a limber up. Either take a short jog in the parking lot, jog in place at your lane, or do some jumping jacks before you bowl. This will get blood pumping around your body and to your muscles. This is beneficial because it gets your body ready for physical activity and any stress it may be put under. Another important part of the body to stretch before bowling is your shoulders. An overhead stretch and posterior shoulder stretch should gently loosen up your shoulders. This will prepare them for the long swings and intense movements that the shoulder will have to undergo. Another part of the body to stretch is your legs. Do a few seconds of front and side lunges on each side of your body, as well as some quadriceps stretches. This prepares your legs for the run up in your approach when bowling.

The last and most important part of your body to stretch is your wrists. The first stretch is called wrist flexion. Hold your arm in front of you with your palm down. Drop your hand down at the wrist and hold your fingers with the opposite hand. Gently pull down to increase the stretch slightly. The second stretch is called wrist extension. Hold your arm in front of you with your palm down.  Raise your palm at your wrist and use the opposite hand to gently pull your fingers back towards your body. Repeat both of these stretches with both hands. Make sure to not pull your fingers back too hard because you may overstretch and injury yourself. 

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